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Monday, August 29, 2011

Series Preview: Phillies at Cincinnati, 8/29-9/1

After being washed out of Philadelphia by Hurricane Irene over the weekend, the Phillies (83-46) have travelled to Cincinnati to face the Reds (67-66) in a four-game series. The teams faced each other in Philadelphia earlier this season, in a series that saw the Reds drop three of four games.

In the series opener, the Phillies will send lefty Cole Hamels, who will be activated from the disabled list, to the mound. Hamels missed time with shoulder inflammation recently. The Reds will counter with right-hander Homer Bailey, who hasn't lost in the month of August.

Dating back to last July, the Phillies have won 10 of 11 meetings with the Reds, including the National League Division Series last October.

Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups as well as plenty more key information from this series.

Monday, 7:10 PM. Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.62 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (7-5, 4.44 ERA). In 4 career starts against the Phillies, Bailey has a 0-2 record with a 7.00 ERA. Bailey has posted a 5-2 record with a 4.66 ERA in 8 home starts this season. Chase Utley is 1-for-10 in his career against Bailey. In 9 career starts against the Reds, including the postseason, Hamels has an 8-0 record with a 1.23 ERA. Hamels is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his last 5 starts.

Tuesday, 7:10 PM. Roy Halladay (15-5, 2.56 ERA) vs. Bronson Arroyo (8-10, 5.02 ERA). Halladay is 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA in 5 regular season starts against the Reds. Over his last 6 starts, Halladay is 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA. Halladay, of course, threw a no-hitter in the NLDS against the Reds last October. In 9 career games against the Phillies, Arroyo is 1-6 with a 7.13 ERA. Arroyo has a 1-3 record with a 3.88 ERA in 8 starts since the All-star break. Hunter Pence is 11-for-32 (.344 avg) in his career against Arroyo.

Wednesday, 7:10 PM. Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.71 ERA) vs. Dontrelle Willis (0-3, 4.10 ERA). In 9 career starts against the Reds, Lee has a 5-2 record with a 4.66 ERA. In his last 5 starts, Lee has posted a 5-0 record with a 1.40 ERA. Miguel Cairo is 8-for-16 (.500 avg) in his career against Lee. Willis is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 5 home starts this season. Placido Polanco is 5-for-32 (.156 avg) in his career against Willis.

Thursday, 12:35 PM. Vance Worley (9-1, 2.65 ERA) vs. Mike Leake (11-8, 4.04 ERA). The Phillies have won each of Worley's last 12 starts. In 4 day starts this season, Worley is 1-1 with a 6.86 ERA. Worley is 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last 5 road starts. In 14 home games this season, Leake has an 8-4 record with a 4.04 ERA. Leake has a 6.91 ERA in 2 career regular season starts against the Phillies.

All-star Brandon Phillips is batting .306 with 8 HR in 56 home games this year. In 21 games this month, Phillips has posted a .359 batting average.

Joey Votto is batting .353 in 25 games this month. The lefty hitting Votto has a .362 batting average against left-handed pitchers this season.

In 43 career regular season games against the Phillies, Miguel Cairo has posted a .397 batting average with 2 homers and 14 RBI.

In 51 games on the road this season, Carlos Ruiz has posted a .293 batting average. Ruiz is batting .309 in 30 games since the All-star break.

Chase Utley has a .713 OPS on the road this season, compared to his .931 OPS at home.

Hunter Pence, in 33 career games at Great American Ballpark, has a .286/.331/.474 line. Pence has posted a .330 batting average in 24 games since joining the Phillies.